Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth inning at Comerica Park on Aug. 8. Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Tarik Skubal Joins Controversial Pitcher in Baseball History with Latest Milestone

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 9:04 AM ET

The Detroit Tigers shut out the Houston Astros 1-0 on Tuesday night, winning a thrilling battle between playoff hopefuls. The Tigers are 75-53 and continue to pace the American League Central, while the Astros are 69-57. They lead the American League West by 1.5 games over the reeling Seattle Mariners.

The pitching matchup of Hunter Brown (HOU) and Tarik Skubal (DET) lived up to the hype in this one, as Skubal went seven shutout innings, striking out 10. Brown went six shutout innings, striking out six.

For the season, Skubal now has a 2.32 ERA while Brown's is at 2.36. Both pitchers figure to factor into the American League Cy Young discussion, with Skubal looking like the favorite.

The lefty hit the 200-strikeout mark in the win, and he also joined some team, and league, history.

Per Tigers PR:

Skubal's 10th strikeout of the night gives him 16 career double-digit strikeout games including nine this season, tying Hal Newhouser for the third-most in a single season by a Tigers pitcher in franchise history.

This was also his 200th strikeout of the year, leading MLB. He joined Curt Schilling (2002) as just the second pitcher in major league history to record at least 200 strikeouts with 25 walks or fewer in his first 25 starts of a season.

Skubal's 10th strikeout of the night gives him 16 career double-digit strikeout games including nine this season, tying Hal Newhouser for the third-most in a single season by a Tigers pitcher in franchise history.

This was also his 200th strikeout of the year, leading MLB. He… https://t.co/T9Y5bSGZJe
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) August 20, 2025

Who is Hal Newhouser?

A Detroit native, Newhouser in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He spent 17 years in the big leagues with the Tigers and Cleveland, amassing 207 wins against 150 losses. He had a lifetime 3.06 ERA and led baseball in innings (313.1) in 1945. A six-time All-Star, he also won two MVP Awards, a Triple Crown and two ERA titles. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

About Curt Schilling

One of the best starters of the 1990s and early 2000s, Schilling spent 20 years in the big leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros. He won 216 games and owned a lifetime ERA of 3.46. A six-time All-Star, he was also a three-time World Series champion and a World Series MVP in 2001.

A controversial figure because of a failed video game venture and his prior political comments, Schilling is not in the Hall of Fame.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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